family
Family unites us; but it's also a challenge. All about fighting to stay together, and loving every moment of it.
Day of Pies
You know the phrase “easy as pie”? Well, I think I took that to heart when I was a kid and first learning how to bake. Pies have always been my go-to food because they’re super easy to make and infinitely versatile. They can be sweet or savory, open-faced or closed, dolled up with a lattice crust or brushed over with an egg or milk wash to make them shiny and crispy. They can be small enough to pop into your mouth in one bite or large enough to feed a whole horde of hungry kids.
By Alison McBainabout a month ago in Humans
NO! Not a Thorn Tree.
The last of the leaves are gone, the few rusty soldiers who were bravely hanging on, through wind and rain to the twisted mostly bare branches, have finally fallen in autumn's retreat. Winter is officially here in Wisconsin, and it's safe to assume there will be brutally cold weather for the next three months that will be void of much color and fun. This could be why Christmas and the winter holidays can instill such fondness in the hearts and minds of those who hale from parts of the world that experience the season, which covers and clads Mother Nature in snow. It gives us a colorful and exciting reprieve from the bland and boring winter world, if even just for a short time.
By Meko James about a month ago in Humans
Taking Back Winter
Anyone from my community needn't reach far into their memories for the PTSD that resides there, surrounding what we deemed a near-naughty word last year, "winter". I shudder as I recall it in my memories now, on the cusp of December 2024, a 100-year storm event dumped three month's worth of accumulation of snow within three days. In like a lion, winter reared it's ugly head, burying us deep in it's layers of white, closing highways and stranding people all over our roads. We pulled people and branches off roads, we dug neighbours out, we shoveled rooves, driveways and paths. We lit candles and huddled under blankets while clutching steaming mugs of tea, coffee and hot chocolate. We waited impatiently for power restoration for days. We tapped on parked transport truck doors to see if a lonely driver inside would care for a warm drink or meal. We opened our homes to strangers, and reluctantly, we got through the worst of it.
By Christina Hunterabout a month ago in Humans
Two Worlds and One Cup of Coffee
It began with a five-dollar bill passed through a passenger-side window by a complete stranger. The car was stopped in the drop-off lane at the front entrance of the children’s hospital. A weathered, exhausted mother sat in the passenger seat while her husband hurried a stroller shaped like a blue race car back up to the seventh floor—the floor that had been home for the past seven days.
By Lorelai Fayeabout a month ago in Humans
Good Reasons
According to vocabdictionary.com, a "good reason" means "a justification or explanation that is considered acceptable or valid." A further understanding: "A good reason is a logical basis or a righteous motive for making a decision or taking action. It implies that the reasoning is sound and can be universally accepted as appropriate."
By Shirley Belkabout a month ago in Humans
A Christmas Without Family That Became Unforgettable. AI-Generated.
Last Christmas is one I will always remember. Christmas has always meant one thing to me—family. The smell of food drifting from the kitchen, familiar laughter echoing through the house, and the quiet comfort of knowing I belong somewhere without having to explain myself. But last Christmas was different. That year, I was away from my family. No shared meals at our old table, no late-night conversations wrapped in blankets, no familiar faces waking me up on Christmas morning.
By Veronica Bennettabout a month ago in Humans
Handel's Messiah
Every December, I travel into the city to watch a performance of Handel’s Messiah. Most will be familiar with the Hallelujah Chorus, not far fewer are aware that it’s part of a larger concert, complete with Orchestra, pipe organ and soloists.
By Natasja Roseabout a month ago in Humans
When Success Sends Parents Away
The taxi did not wait. It dropped Anna at the entrance of the care home, unloaded two suitcases, and disappeared down a clean European street lined with cafés and bicycles. Her daughter had already left. A meeting. A flight. A life that could not pause.
By Aarsh Malikabout a month ago in Humans
How Reckless Leadership Fuels Global Crisis
A Complaint on Trump: How Reckless Leadership Fuels Global Crisis Leadership is not merely about authority or popularity; it is about responsibility, restraint, and an understanding that decisions made at the top ripple across borders. As a global citizen, I submit this complaint not as an act of hatred, but as an act of concern. The actions and rhetoric associated with the Trump administration have contributed to instability, fear, and division—both within the United States and far beyond its borders.
By Wings of Time about a month ago in Humans
Christmas Snow
A tale of a Christmas pasted so many years ago. Staying a house full love and memories that were made there. A fireplace that kept you warm and toasty as you sipped on hot chocolate from a crock pot to keep it at right temperature for drinking.
By Teressa Rosallabout a month ago in Humans
First Snow Pancakes. Winner in The Ritual of Winter Challenge.
My father called them first snow pancakes. Bisquick, eggs, milk, oil. And snow. I grew up in a chaotic and dangerous house—belts cracked against skin, fists against faces—but the first snow softened the world, inside and out.
By Aubrey Rebeccaabout a month ago in Humans
